Draft-rigging for car-couplings



No. l609,410.l f Patented Aug. 23, |898.

n. c'HmsTlE.

DRAFTl mesme Fu cAR couPLms.

Appucaton filed eb. 2s, 159e.)

(No Model.)

n e l1 A A w llllllll. `IllllIJl llivrrnn f Fifa'rns JOHN CHRISTIE, OF IRVINE, PENNSYLVANIA.`

DRAFT-RIGGlNG FOR CAR-ChOUPLlNGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,410,`dated August 23, 1898. Applicant sied raam 23,1898. secano. 671,297. (Numan.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN CHRISTIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Irvine, in the county of Warren and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Draft- Rigging for Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification. j l. The invention relates to improvements in draft-riggin g for railway-cars having verticalplane car-couplings of the Janney type, and has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device adapted, should a draw-head become disconnected from the draft mechanism, to prevent the said drawhead from being pulled entirely out from its car and falling upon the track.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combinationK and arrangement of parts hereinafter fullyV described, illustrated.

a longitudinal sectional viewof thesame.`

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view online 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar view on line 4t l of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail View Vof the supporting frame orstirrup. Fig. 6 is a similar view ofthe safety-key. Fig. 7 is a detail View of the locking-washer.

Like numerals of reference designate corref spending parts in all the iigures of the draw-v ings.

1 designates a vertical-plane draw-head provided with a pivoted knuckle and adapted to couple with a corresponding draw-head in the usual manner. The shank 2 of the drawhead is supported within a rectangular frame or stirrup 3, conforming to the configuration of the shank or draw-bar and arranged between thelongitudinal draft-timbers 4 of a car 5 and provided at the lower edges ofthe said draft-timbers with laterally-extending flanges 6, perforated for thereception of bolts '7, which pass through the iianges, the draft-timbers, and the end sill 8 and secure the frame or stirrup to the car. e

They rectangular frameV or stirrup, which supportsthe drawhead and operates as a carrieniron, is composed of a horizontal bottom plate, of which the said iianges 6 are eX- tensions, vertical sides, which are arranged at the inner-faces of A the draft-timbers 4E, and a top plate," the top and `sides of the frame or stirrup serving as chaing-irons and protectingthetimbersof the car from wear. The top of the frame or'stirrup is provided at its rear edgewith a vertical iiange 3, arranged in 'a recess of the rear face of the endv sill 8 and ysaid draw-head will be prevented from being drawn out from the car and from falling upon the track.

The longitudinal boreor opening of the shank of the draw-head iscylindrical and of `thesame diameter, and the safety-key 9, which is adapted to engage the stop, consists of a spherical body portion or ball 11 and oppositely disposed arms 12, the ball fitting `snugly within the longitudinal bore or opening and the arms projecting through the slots `10.

The key is adapted to be readily intro- The rectangular duced into and removed from the draw-head after the latter is `mounted on the car, .and `said keyis inserted endwise, and after being brought opposite the slots 410 it is partially rotated to cause the arms to project through the slots.` The arms are provided with perforations, and the lower one receives a ring 13 or other suitable device to retain `thesafetyfkeyV in a vertical positionand prevent the arms fromleavinga position for engaging the frame or stirrupl The rear end of the shank of the drawhead is connected by a tail' pin or bolt 14 with a follower-plate 15 of the ordinary construction. The head of thebolt or pin is mounted within the shank of the draw-head, and the rear or the inner end of the same is slotted to receive a vertical key 16, which is provided at its upper end with a head, and is perforated below the bolt or pin 14 to receive a fastening IOO device to prevent it from being accidentally withdrawn. The key 16 fits in a groove 17 of a locking-washer 18, which is interposed between the key and the follower-plate and which fits snugly between the sides of the draft-timbers. The front edge of the key is rounded and the groove of the locking-washer is concave in order to keep the edge of the key from being flattened out or burred, and the said groove will also operate to prevent the key from being bent or twisted laterally at the lower end. The upper portion of the locking-washer is provided with a pair of lugs 19, having slightly-diverging inner faces, adapted to operate as guides to direct the front edge of the key into the groove should the key and the locking-washer become slightly separated by the closing in of the draftspring.

The invention has the following' advantages: The draft-rigging is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction and is adapted to be readily applied to cars and carcouplings without necessitating any material alteration in the construction of the same, and it is especially adapted for vertical-plane car-couplings of the Janney type, as it will prevent a draw-head from falling upon the track and the cars from becoming uncoupled should the connection between the draw-head and the draft mechanism become broken. The safety-key, which is arranged to engage the top and bottom of the frame or hanger, is adapted to be readily introduced into the draw-head after the same has been mounted upon a car, and While it may be readily removed when desired it cannot become accidentally displaced.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

1. The combination with adraw-hcad, of a frame or stirrup receiving the draw-head and composed of vertical sides, a horizontal top provided at its rear edge with an upwardlyextending flange 3, and a horizontal bottom extended from the sides to form lateral Iianges 6, and a key mounted on the draw-head in rear of the frame or stirrup and adapted to engage the same, substantially as described.

2. The combination, of a draw-head provided in its shank with opposite slots, and a safety-key consisting of an enlarged body portion fitting within the shank of the drawhead, and arms extending through the slots of the shank and adapted to engage a car, said key being adapted to be partially rotated in the shank of the draw-head to extend its arms through and withdraw them from the said slots, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, of a draw-head provided in its shank with opposite longitudinal slots, and a safety-key consisting ot a ball fitting snugly within the shank of the drawhead, and opposite arms extending from the ball and adapted to project through the slots of the shank of the draw-head to engage a car, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a draw-head provided in its shank with slots, a frame or stirrup supporting the same and forming a stop, and a safety-key consisting of an enlarged body portion fitting the opening of the shank, and opposite arms extending through the slots of the shank and arranged to engage the frame or stirrup, substantially as specified.

5.' The combination of a draw-head, a tail pin or bolt, a key mounted on the pin or bolt, and a locking-washer provided with a slot to receive the key and adapted to be interposed between the same and a follower-plate, said groove being concave and the edge of the key being rounded to conform to the configuration thereof, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the draw-head, a tail pin or bolt provided with a slot, a key arranged in the slot of the pin or bolt, and a locking-washer provided with a groove to receive the key and designed to be interposed between the same and a follower-plate, said washer being provided with opposite lugs forming a guide, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as l my own I have hereto afiiXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

. JOHN CHRISTIE. Witnesses: C. D. GILLEsPIE,

J. W. HUGHES. 

